Have another look ... or two
New feature promises to be very fan friendly
Andrew Riggs / The Collegian
Above: At 24 feet by 32 feet, Fresno State’s new video wall and scoreboard will be a can’t miss for Bulldogs fans. Below: The final touches to the video wall are expected to be finished in time for the Colorado State game, Saturday.
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By Catherine Ragsdale
The Collegian
Fresno State fans won’t miss a play at Bulldog Stadium with the new 24 foot by 32 foot video wall at the north endzone.
This Saturday the Fresno State football team will face off with Colorado State, and the new video wall is scheduled to make its debut.
The new video wall is almost twice the size of the old video screen, and is surrounded by four advertisement panels.
Minor mechanical, technical and electrical components are left for the setup of the video wall.
The scheduled completion date is Sept. 30.
“Every expectation for [the video wall] to be up and running and completely functional by Saturday has been and is being fulfilled,” Associate Athletic Director Paul Ladwig said.
During the game, fans can look forward to seeing starting lineups, live game video, instant replays and highlights from other Fresno State sports.
“The video wall is really for fan entertainment and to boost fan excitement,” Ladwig said. “We want to enhance the game day experience for the fans.”
According to Ladwig, maintenance for the video wall will be little to no cost. “We chose this video wall because it is very cost effective. It is state of the art, the newest technology,” Ladwig said.
The athletic department is not planning on any maintenance costs for at least the next five to six years.
Daktronics, the manufacturer of the video wall, stated the wall can be run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year and it will last at its highest quality for 10 years.
Ladwig and the athletic department stress how much this video wall is for the fans and their enjoyment of Fresno State football games.
Senior John Bowers has bought season tickets to the games for the past couple of years. He usually sits in the general student section, but sometimes his parents give up their season red seat tickets.
“I’m very excited and ready to see [the video wall],” Bowers said.
Bowers expects a great increase in the volume of sound coming from the fans.
“This will definitely improve fan involvement because it shows that Fresno State is putting something into the stadium that is basically for fans,” Bowers said.
Senior Gwint Fisher believes the amount of fans attending will greatly increase regardless of who Fresno State is playing.
“The nosebleed seats can’t really see the field,” Fisher said. “The new video wall will make it easier to watch the game, and much more enjoyable.”
A new marquee will also debut on Sept. 30th. It is located on Cedar and Barstow across from the Bulldog Shop.
The marquee will display athletic and university announcements, player of the week information, video clip highlights from recent Fresno State athletic events, promotional activities and sponsorship advertisements.
This technology is meant to revitalize the game day experience for all Fresno State fans. Alcohol privileges might be gone, but pride in the Fresno State football team isn’t.
“I can’t wait to see the video wall, and how much more the crowd gets into the game,” Fisher said.
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